Free Episodic Games on Steam
Steam currently has 358 Episodic games available to download and play. Explore our list of the best free games ranked by popularity and ratings. Data for this list is calculated from reviews and player counts reported directly by Steam and will be updated in real-time. Free Episodic game rankings were last updated on 5/18/2024.
Looking for more? Explore other lists such as:
- Best episodic games on Steam
- Best episodic Steam Deck games
- Best episodic Steam games for Mac OS
- Best episodic Linux games on Steam
- Free Steam games
- Most played Steam games
- Best rated Steam games
1. Life is Strange - Episode 1
Episode 1 now FREE! Life is Strange is an award-winning and critically acclaimed episodic adventure game that allows the player to rewind time and affect the past, present and future.
Life is Strange - Episode 1 holds the #1 spot for "best free Episodic game on Steam" with a Player Score of 95. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 164,194 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 157,914 positive reviews and 6,280 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Life is Strange - Episode 1 on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Release Date | 1/30/2015 |
| Franchise | DON'T NOD |
| Developers | |
| Publishers | |
| Steam App Id | 319630 |
2. Life is Strange 2
After a tragic incident, brothers Sean and Daniel Diaz run away from home. Fearing the police, and dealing with Daniel's new telekinetic power, the boys head to Mexico. Each stop on their journey brings new friends and new challenges.
Life is Strange 2 has achieved a Player Score of 84, placing it in the #2 spot for the best free Episodic games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 31,851 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 27,397 positive reviews and 4,454 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
| Release Date | 9/26/2018 |
| Franchise | DON'T NOD |
| Developers | |
| Publishers | |
| Steam App Id | 532210 |
3. Fears to Fathom - Home Alone
Fears to Fathom is an episodic psychological horror game where each episode unveils a short story narrated by the ones who survived.
Fears to Fathom - Home Alone has achieved a Player Score of 87, placing it in the #3 spot for the best free Episodic games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 5,977 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 5,405 positive reviews and 572 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Fears to Fathom - Home Alone on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Release Date | 7/2/2021 |
| Franchise | Fears to Fathom |
| Developer | Rayll |
| Publisher | Rayll |
| Steam App Id | 1671340 |
4. The Descendant
In THE DESCENDANT, the end of the world is only the start. With what remains of humanity protected in underground Ark facilities, your mission is to keep survivors alive, while discovering a far greater conspiracy buried within Ark-01.
The Descendant has achieved a Player Score of 86, placing it in the #4 spot for the best free Episodic games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 6,846 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 6,072 positive reviews and 774 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on both Windows and Mac systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
| Steam Price | $14.99 |
| Release Date | 3/24/2016 |
| Developer | Gaming Corps AB |
| Publishers | |
| Steam App Id | 351940 |
5. Welcome to Free Will - Episode 1
Welcome to Free Will - Episode 1 is the first episode of a choice-driven, adult Visual Novel game. You play as a young man who travels to a small town looking for his missing mother. As you soon find out, the town is packed with many beautiful women.
Welcome to Free Will - Episode 1 has achieved a Player Score of 85, placing it in the #5 spot for the best free Episodic games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 1,409 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 1,255 positive reviews and 154 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on both Windows and Linux systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Welcome to Free Will - Episode 1 on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Release Date | 9/22/2021 |
| Developer | Mr Strangelove |
| Publisher | Mr Strangelove |
| Steam App Id | 1743260 |
6. King's Quest
King’s Quest is a collection of five different chapter releases, each focusing on an untold tale in Graham’s past. Discover a wondrous world full of whimsical characters, charming puzzles and perilous dangers in this fun and enchanting coming of age story.
King's Quest has achieved a Player Score of 86, placing it in the #6 spot for the best free Episodic games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 2,763 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 2,488 positive reviews and 275 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
| Release Date | 7/28/2015 |
| Developer | The Odd Gentlemen |
| Publisher | Sierra |
| Steam App Id | 345390 |
7. The Council
Experience a Narrative Adventure where your choices and character growth truly matter. As a member of a 1793 secret society, live a tale of intrigue and manipulation on the hunt for your missing mother.
The Council has achieved a Player Score of 81, placing it in the #7 spot for the best free Episodic games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 4,921 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 4,133 positive reviews and 788 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is possible to play The Council on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Release Date | 3/13/2018 |
| Developer | Big Bad Wolf |
| Publisher | Focus Entertainment |
| Steam App Id | 287630 |
8. Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.1 Onikakushi
Higurashi When They Cry is a sound novel. The music, backgrounds and characters work together to create a world that is the stage of a novel for the user to read. They laugh and cry and get angry. The user takes the point of view of the protagonist to experience the story.
Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.1 Onikakushi has achieved a Player Score of 92, placing it in the #8 spot for the best free Episodic games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 4,609 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 4,424 positive reviews and 185 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
| Release Date | 5/15/2015 |
| Developer | 07th Expansion |
| Publisher | MangaGamer |
| Steam App Id | 310360 |
9. Republique
Help a woman named Hope escape in a thrilling and topical stealth-action game that explores the perils of government surveillance in the Internet Age.
Republique has achieved a Player Score of 74, placing it in the #9 spot for the best free Episodic games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 763 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 590 positive reviews and 173 negative reviews — making it "Mostly Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on both Windows and Mac systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
10. Sparky Marky: Episode 2
You are a worker of the Amber's Park Camp, so you must pass a monthly assessment in a secret training simulator. All workers know this process by heart: you need to be trained in risky conditions and prove that you can deactivate Sparky Marky in an emergency. But this time something went wrong...
Sparky Marky: Episode 2 has achieved a Player Score of 68, placing it in the #10 spot for the best free Episodic games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 80 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 60 positive reviews and 20 negative reviews — making it "Mostly Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is not possible to play or run Sparky Marky: Episode 2 on the Steam Deck.
| Release Date | 6/16/2023 |
| Developer | Clapperheads |
| Publisher | Clapperheads |
| Steam App Id | 2418290 |
More Free Episodic Games
Explore even more rankings for the 28 best free Episodic games available on Steam.
| Image | Name | Actions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 272 | 1/30/2015 | 95 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 232 | 9/26/2018 | 84 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 42 | 7/2/2021 | 87 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 34 | 3/24/2016 | 86 | $14.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 19 | 9/22/2021 | 85 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 16 | 7/28/2015 | 86 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 14 | 3/13/2018 | 81 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 11 | 5/15/2015 | 92 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 3 | 2/26/2015 | 74 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 2 | 6/16/2023 | 68 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 2 | 6/8/2023 | 69 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 2 | 9/30/2017 | 74 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 2 | 3/23/2017 | 68 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 1 | 8/8/2016 | 83 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 1 | 4/14/2023 | 64 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 1 | 1/12/2018 | 74 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 1 | 6/26/2019 | 68 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 1 | 7/31/2020 | 63 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 1 | 1/3/2019 | 80 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 1 | 7/7/2016 | 88 | Free | Steam Charts |
Soures & References
Steambase has best-in-class data powered directly by Steam, our data partners, and in-house experts. Player counts and rankings are enriched, analyzed, and updated in real-time to ensure we surface the most up-to-date insights. Learn more about the Steambase approach to data collection and our review methodology.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, May 18). Steam Store. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, May 18). Life is Strange - Episode 1 on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, May 18). Life is Strange 2 on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, May 19). Fears to Fathom - Home Alone on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, May 1). The Descendant on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, March 23). Welcome to Free Will - Episode 1 on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, April 21). King's Quest on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, April 23). The Council on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, March 6). Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.1 Onikakushi on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, March 19). Republique on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, May 1). Sparky Marky: Episode 2 on Steam. Steam Store.